… a beautiful life

Doped and duped

Maybe a deal will be struck by the time this post goes ‘live’. Irrespective of what transpires (and I sure hope we will avert this debt ceiling disaster), what I am writing here still applies, as what underlies the latest fire drill has been brewing for decades.

There is a pole shift taking place that we had better all heed, before it is too late. It may already be.

Alarming people is normally outside of the parameters of this blog but I am increasingly convinced that we are undergoing as close to complete insurrection as we have ever come here and it will have dire consequences for the entire world, and especially the United States. No one will escape its impact. In another post, I called it an attempted coup and that is what I am afraid is actually underway. I hope I am dead wrong.

Many of you who may read this now or in days to come are not Americans, but this should be something of grave concern to you since what is happening in the US right now has international ramifications and they are severe.

Your life and mine are filled with plenty of other things on which I am sure we would rather focus . If I did not think this was so serious, I wouldn’t absorb any of my time (and yours) discussing it here, because there are other far more expert voices analyzing politics around the clock. But what I find so disturbing is that people are treating this under the rubric of ‘false equivalency’. It is being reported in the media for the most part as merely partisan politics with each side jockeying for the upper hand simply to drive forward their own selfish agenda. But I don’t think it is as simple as that.

I remember hearing Thomas Friedman (about whom I have mixed sentiments) recounting a story of people in NY eating out in posh restaurants on the eve of the 2008 economic collapse. He said he wanted to shout to them, “What are you doing? Do you realize what is coming?”. He knew. How?

We are facing an economic and social Armageddon, not just a great recession, right now.

There are only a few outliers in the Progressive caucus openly expressing deep concern. One is Senator Bernie Sanders. I have never considered myself a socialist, but I find that Sanders is one of the rare people in our government who is willing to speak bluntly about the dangerous path this country is on.

Allegory of the Cave. Plato, The Republic

If you have the time, you may want to read this article that appeared in the New York Times this past Saturday. I find it interesting that the story was published on a low-readership day.

The only broadcaster talking about the gravity of this situation is Ed Schultz, on radio and television. If you consider what is happening, that is, a small group of people, representing less than 10% of the American voting population attempting to take over our government and overturn the last two elections in the process, you should be asking yourself a key question (regardless of whether you are a conservative, a liberal, a progressive or an independent — this question should concern you as an American citizen and voter). That question is this:

Is what is taking place right now consistent with democracy?

There is what I consider to be irrational hatred of the new healthcare law here, a private insurance company-based program, not a government give away. The Affordable Care Act was designed to help lower costs to those of us paying for health insurance by making health care affordable for people in the lower end of the middle class — working people who have jobs but whose income does not allow them to shoulder the high cost of health care — and young people who rarely think about their need for this type of coverage until they either have an accident or develop a life-threatening condition. Bringing all these people who are currently not subscribers to health insurance, into the system is intended to give them a net, put more customers into the hands of the private (remember, not public, private) insurers, and thereby lower overall health care costs and the burden on the existing government subsidies, like Medicaid.

So why is the American public bewildered and upset? Afraid? Because there has been a concerted and relentless campaign to insert confusion and instill fear surrounding this law. The big money backers of most of the so-called ‘free’ enterprise in this country (incorporating the international cartels) see the ACA as the fourth in the broad government support programs that America has come to depend upon to establish a politically active and vocal, economically stable, educated middle class. These hidden interests who are manipulating what is transpiring right now, from behind the scenes, are interested in keeping the middle class as well as the poor out of the vote and reversing elections through recalls and filibusters (and does voter suppression ring a bell?). (Union busting is also part of this plan to impede economic and social progress, and in so doing thwart achievement of the so-called American dream.)

The way this is being engineered is by putting out a deliberate, relentless stream of disinformation. Doing that and having the media promote it (as they are happily doing because it draws an audience) has the effect of confusing people, irrespective of their own experience, education and intelligence (which is a range, as we know).

This strategy is working.

Up to this week, I thought this was all about Boehner keeping his job. Now, for the first time I realize it is about something Ed Schultz mentioned yesterday in an impassioned plea for us to wake up. He said the moderate Republicans are telling Boehner to accede to the demands of the Tea Party Caucus because they fear that any other course of action will cause a growing rupture to explode in the Republican Party. The Tea Party will take over in the ensuing chaos and then America is truly doomed.

I think the tea party/moral majority populace at large is unaware that they are being lied to and used. The money behind the 40 Representatives in the House and the handful of Senators who are being paid and promised rewards to do their bidding is determined to take down this President, the Democrats, the progressive agenda, the four social safety nets (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act) and overturn the last two elections. They are dedicated to sabotaging any mechanisms that put Democrats or progressives in charge of any branch of the government.

Orwell was off by just four years

This is anti-democratic. It is rending our Constitution. It is not what Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Franklin and other signers and Revolutionary War heroes intended. I am sorry to say, this is where our Constitution apparently has a blind spot, a fatal flaw that these brilliant, well meaning, good men did not and probably could not foresee. It cannot happen in Parliamentary Democracies, but it is happening right now, here, it is big and it may be our final undoing.

Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines that live off of the humans’ body heat and electrochemical energy and who imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix.

The Founding Fathers would never imagine that ‘leaders’ freely elected by the people, would allow themselves to be used for purely monetary purposes by hidden actors with a private, personal, and selfish agenda. In the 18th century, people elected to leadership positions had a code of ethics, they were gentlemen to a man, they could not be used in this wily manner. They disagreed, had different philosophies, they fought and argued and debated, and they openly criticized and even verbally attacked one another with impunity. They believed in free speech but they believed in a balanced, benevolent, functioning government by, for, and of the people.

We do not have that government any more.

The people creating this devastating upheaval are anarchists who know that in chaotic conditions, canny manipulators can take the upperhand and gain unfair advantage.

And let me just remind you that not too long ago Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld backed by the Neocons were touting their ability to create democracies in the Middle East and then the rest of the world, a task at which they failed catastrophically by invading a country that had never attacked us. What message is this Congress sending the emerging democracies all over the world? What does it say, for example to a major trading partner, Mexico that finally put its democracy on solid ground?

Using the ACA or any social safety net program as a bargaining chip is to imply that it is still unsettled law, which applies to none of these. All four programs passed through the constitutionally guaranteed legal channels in congress, ratified by the people and upheld against challenges by our Supreme Courts. To ask one side to meet three quarters of the way, is not a fair negotiating tactic, neither is hostage taking and extortion.

This whole movement is about taking down all the middle class protections that have raised this group to a level where they have time to stop and think. Thinking and reasoning by this large group of people is the biggest threat to these oligarchs. To perfect their plan, Americans must all be turned into Sheeple.

The wealthy in the Republican constituency and leadership are being promised money and power and have been given an ultimatum to cooperate. The right wing lower classes with a large portion of low-information voters are merely being frightened, they are getting nothing for this, the Republicans are not taking care of them at all and yet, like the Eloi in H.G. Wells Time Machine they are marching to this tune and carrying water, while they do.

We are in a climate crisis too Conrad, but these same people here are denying it of course and vilifying anyone who supports science and environmental protection. They have got just enough people here flummoxed that little can move forward. Thank you for the link. I am going to head there and read it. I am sorry to be so heavy but many of us are feeling frustrated outrage right now and it just has to be said.

Beth- great post- and definitely running along the same lines as the concerns I’m having here in Canada about similar manipulations of the roles of power. I tend to read/watch Bill Moyers (and Company) for most of my information about the state of things Stateside. He, and the people he has spoken to recently, have been maintaining most of the same points you have made here.
I don’t think that I’m an alarmist by nature, but something has to change- and soon- or we won’t get out of this quagmire of irresponsible government- that is working for a minority of the population that is looking out for their best interests to the exclusion of everything- and everyone- else.

I wasn’t worried until this week. I haven’t been happy with what they have been doing, but it seemed it would work out – now I don’t know and frankly, I cannot afford a recession or worse. We shall see.

Nor can I. Haven’t recovered from the last one- despite the propaganda that our federal leaders like to spread around.
I’ll be watching event in both our countries unfold with trepidation- but also with hope that reason will finally prevail.

I must agree with you – even over the weekend I was thinking oh, this is all for show, they won’t actually allow the US to go into default. but I am starting to see that it just might happen. And like you and so many others, we simply cannot afford this. It doesn’t help to enter the alternate internet reality so many here exist within, wherein this is all Obama’s fault for being non-compromising or some such crap over the fight to defund a law that has been upheld judicially – I do not get the willful ignorance over this. it especially upsets me to see people I genuinely like taking this stance (such as Flick rRick); I almost wish they wouldn’t talk about it so I didn’t have to know there are really nice people out there following this line of thinking.

I know exactly what you mean. I am having the worst time accepting people who are so gullible or cynical that they would subscribe to what I see as lunacy. I grew up with Republicans. My father is a sort of right leaning Democrat who I always consider too conservative but even he is outraged now. There are truly three parties now and the minority party is taking over – very upsetting and I don’t know what we can do. (I saw that post of Flickr Rick’s and wondered why he opened that subject up. What I love about Flickr is that it is for artists not critics – I steer clear of politics everywhere but here now and even here, I am loathe to alienate anyone. Sigh, sigh…).

He doesn’t do it much, and usually I just don’t comment on those photos. Even yesterday I was going to ignore it but someone else stated what I felt so clearly that I i just commented that I agreed with what that person said.

I read and saw that and was tempted but decided I don’t know Rick well enough, he only made me a contact based on your page so I didn’t feel I had the right to criticize. I hope he won’t say anything about animals bec that will push me over the edge.

I know. Isn’t this awful? I am so sorry for any harm that comes to anyone here, much less elsewhere because of this selfish group of people. Let’s touch wood it doesn’t happen after all. Thank you Barbara.

Stephen, how prescient was that friend!! It staggers me to think that people can be so blind. Ordinary people voting against their interest, so clearly. I am shaking my head.

If Bernie Sanders were just a bit younger, I think progressives in this country would get behind that guy in a big way. I wish he were not identfied as a socialist, whatever the heck that means any more. I think his positions are just common sense for the common man. He can’t win, but at least he will for HRC to address the plight of ‘the rest of us’.

I found this essay to be unsettling but also confirming what my 2 brothers and I were talking about this Labor Day weekend. Mom listened and made a few comments to add to the political discussion. We like Hillary as a package deal, then have hope for Bernie. We fear he won’t be accepted in the Democratic ticket and may not make it to the White House

I really feel Hillary is going to be on ballot since the word,”socialism” scares people. As far as hosety, though, what you see(or hear) with Bernie is what you get. Great and thoughtful essay, Beth. xo

I want a woman in that office for once in 248 years. Hillary is the best candidate for that particular reason, right now and so I support her. She certainly isn’t perfect. But a vote for Bernie is a vote for a Republican — no way this country is going to put a 70-something, socialist from the Bronx in the White House — it is just unrealistic, no matter how much we may like and admire him. We have to be practical and in my humble opinion, the press has done a thorough job of assassinating Hillary’s character. 98% of it are outright lies and spin. The Koch Bros are scared to death of her and that is behind all this nonsense. Much ado about nothing, as Bill Maher has astutely observed (and he loves Bernie). He is going to vote for her with no reservations and so will I. She accomplished a lot of good in the State Department and even more as NY Senator. The press should be ashamed of themselves. I guess those big media giants, who are right wingers, would love to have Trump in office. That is how it seems to me.